Dunnellon's Jackson wins 800-meter individual title

Dunnellon's Chris Jackson ran the 800-meter race in a time of 1:57.97 to win the 2A state championship.

Doug Engle/Staff photographer/FILE

By Jeff ElliottCorrespondent

Published: Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, April 28, 2013 at 12:10 a.m.

JACKSONVILLE — It wasn't pretty at the end, and afterwards Chris Jackson said he wanted to throw up. But you can call Jackson a state champion.

The senior from Dunnellon saved one of his best races of his final high school competition as he held off a fast-closing pack of runners to win the 800 meter race on Saturday at the Class 2A State High School Track Meet held at the University of North Florida. There were eight regional times faster than Jackson's time of 1:57.97 from a week ago, but that didn't deter his confidence that he could finish with a first-place medal in the state meet.

“I just wanted it real bad. I know I didn't look real smooth there at the finish, but I won and that's the important thing,” Jackson said. “I was pretty nervous about it. I just had my mind set on a state championship.

“I knew there were some good runners I was going against. The time is good but I've run a 1:53 this year. This is just an unbelievable feeling. God was with me the whole race.”

The win took some of the sting out of a fifth-place finish in the high jump for Jackson, where he had hoped to be among the contenders. He went out after clearing six feet and was part of a six-way tie for fifth place. Three other jumpers cleared 6-2 while the winning effort, Terrell Campbell of Walton, was 6-4.

“I wish I had done a little better, but I kept on slipping on the rubber surface right in front of the pit,” Jackson said. “I know I can jump higher than that, but I just couldn't get my footing.”

But the disappointment in the high jump was replaced with a feeling of joy about 90 minutes later when Jackson claimed his state title.

Asked how he felt after winning his first state title, he replied, “I feel like I'm about to throw up. But that's OK because I feel so good about winning the race. Now if I had finished second and still felt like this, I probably would have thrown up,” he added.

The only other local competitor in the meet, North Marion's Regina Wilkerson, finished fifth in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes.

<p>JACKSONVILLE — It wasn't pretty at the end, and afterwards Chris Jackson said he wanted to throw up. But you can call Jackson a state champion.</p><p>The senior from Dunnellon saved one of his best races of his final high school competition as he held off a fast-closing pack of runners to win the 800 meter race on Saturday at the Class 2A State High School Track Meet held at the University of North Florida. There were eight regional times faster than Jackson's time of 1:57.97 from a week ago, but that didn't deter his confidence that he could finish with a first-place medal in the state meet. </p><p>“I just wanted it real bad. I know I didn't look real smooth there at the finish, but I won and that's the important thing,” Jackson said. “I was pretty nervous about it. I just had my mind set on a state championship.</p><p>“I knew there were some good runners I was going against. The time is good but I've run a 1:53 this year. This is just an unbelievable feeling. God was with me the whole race.”</p><p>The win took some of the sting out of a fifth-place finish in the high jump for Jackson, where he had hoped to be among the contenders. He went out after clearing six feet and was part of a six-way tie for fifth place. Three other jumpers cleared 6-2 while the winning effort, Terrell Campbell of Walton, was 6-4.</p><p>“I wish I had done a little better, but I kept on slipping on the rubber surface right in front of the pit,” Jackson said. “I know I can jump higher than that, but I just couldn't get my footing.”</p><p>But the disappointment in the high jump was replaced with a feeling of joy about 90 minutes later when Jackson claimed his state title. </p><p>Asked how he felt after winning his first state title, he replied, “I feel like I'm about to throw up. But that's OK because I feel so good about winning the race. Now if I had finished second and still felt like this, I probably would have thrown up,” he added.</p><p>The only other local competitor in the meet, North Marion's Regina Wilkerson, finished fifth in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes.</p>